The 2022 Ford Escape has definitely changed on the outside over the years, but the towing capacity really has stayed the same throughout the life of the vehicle, even with these newer model years.
These vehicles were still able to achieve a maximum trailer weight rating of up to 3,500 pounds, if you had the 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine equipped, along with the trailer package that was available.
You will need to go through some of the data though, because some models were only able to achieve a 1,500 pound rating, so you really need to know what equipment you needed to be installed on your vehicle in order to get those higher ratings.
Your owner's manual is your most valuable tool that you have for your vehicle, and it contains a ton of different information.
Always consult your owner's manual when it comes to anything regarding your vehicle, and be sure that you abide by all of Ford's recommendations and requirements.
2022 Escape Overview
Overall Capacity: The overall towing capacity for the 2022 Ford Escape ranged from 1,500- 3,500 pounds, and the primary factor that affected the capacity numbers was the engine that you had equipped in your vehicle. This was by far the biggest factor out of all the other variables.
Capacity By Trim Levels: There were four different trim levels available for the 2022 models, and these were listed below. I went ahead and summarize the data, then I was able to find the engine options that were available for each trim level. Then, comparing that data with the data in the tow chart.
If we look at the different trim levels below, we can see that the S models had the lowest capacity ratings, with a maximum trailer weight rating of around 1,500 pounds.
The SE trim levels were able to achieve a capacity range of between 1,500- 2,000 pounds, while the SEL trim levels were able to achieve a 1,500- 3,500 pound rating. This was due to the fact that they had the option of having that 2.0 liter engine equipped. The Titanium models had the best overall capacity range, coming in between 2,000- 3,500 pounds.
- S:1,500 lbs.
- SE: 1,500-2,000 lbs.
- SEL: 1,500-3,500 lbs.
- Titanium: 2,000-3,500 lbs.
By Engine Options: I also wanted to throw out the data for the three different engine options. If you look at the data below, you can see that the 2.5 liter engine was used for the hybrid models. It had the lowest rating and, the 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine, had the highest rating of up to 3,500 pounds, in conjunction with the optional trailer package that was available.
- 2.5L Hybrid (4 cylinder): 1,500 lbs.
- 1.5L (4 cylinder) EcoBoost: 2,000 lbs.
- 2.0L (4 cylinder) EcoBoost: 2,000-3,500 lbs. (2,000 lb. limit without trailer package 536)
The Tow Chart:
The tow chart for the 2022 Escape was similar to the 2021 models and 2020 models and even shared the same towing capacity as the 2021 Escapes because they shared a lot of the same components, like engine options. If we look at the chart for the 2022 models below, we can see the engine options on the left-hand side of the chart and the maximum trailer weight ratings on the right-hand side of the chart.
Next to the engine options, we see the axle ratios that are listed. Next to that, you will see the gross combined weight rating figures, that is for both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models. There are also some additional notes at the bottom that apply to certain trim levels. You will want to make sure to read through those to see if it applies to your specific vehicle.
What You Need To Know About Your SUV To Get Your Maximum Trailer Rating:
There is not a lot of information you need to know about your vehicle when it comes to getting your maximum trailer weight ratings from the chart. In fact, the only thing you need to know about your vehicle, is the engine option that you had equipped, as this was the only factor that determined your maximum trailer weight rating, in general.
The gross combined weight rating metrics could also come in handy if you are calculating your load in total. Which includes the overall weight of the vehicle and, all occupants, plus the additional weight of the trailer and the cargo inside the trailer. But in general, the engine is really the only piece of information that you need in order to get your maximum trailer weight rating specification.
- The engine you had equipped - Knowing what engine you had equipped is the main thing that you need to figure out for your specific vehicle.
If you are having trouble finding out what engine you have equipped in your vehicle or any other information about your vehicle that may be a little hard to find, I would recommend using a website like this one that uses your VIN. It then decodes your VIN and tells you a whole bunch of useful information about your vehicle.
You can actually use this website to figure out what engine you have equipped in your vehicle, along with lots of other details that you may use later on.
2022 Escape Trailer Tow Packages...
I did mention earlier that in order to achieve the highest ratings in the chart, you would have to have the 2.0 liter engine equipped and the optional trailer package that was available. Which is referred to as the 536 package for these model years.
I was able to find a chart that lists what equipment is included in the 536 to package and, if we look at the chart below in the areas that are outlined in red, we can see that a four pin wiring harness is included, a hitch receiver, an automatic transmission, oil cooler and, a trailer sway control.
1. Available with 2.0L EcoBoost® I4 or 2.5L I4 Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid (SEL or Titanium) only
Hitch Receiver Weight Limits: I was also able to find another chart that lists the hitch receiver capacity ratings and, as you can see, the maximum weight listed is that 3,500 LB rating, which was the only rating in that chart. And there was no specification for a weight distributing hitch because, these vehicles had such a low maximum trailer weight rating to begin with.
Trailer Brakes: I was able to find a couple of notes on trailer brakes that are pretty general in nature, but one of these notes does specify what Ford requires. It is that the trailer you were pulling behind your vehicle has its own breaking system, which is independent of your vehicle's breaking system, if you are pulling a trailer and cargo that weighs 1,500 pounds or more.
We can also see that the trailer brakes will need to comply with federal and local laws and regulations, so you'll need to check what those are and make sure you are complying with those as well.
On an additional note, these vehicles did not come equipped with the proper electrical connections for things like a brake controller or a 7 pin wiring harness. Both of which are required for trailer brakes, so keep this in mind when you are planning on using trailer brakes with these vehicles. You will have to install these two accessories yourself or have a shop do it for you, as they are not a Ford factory installed option.
Now The Certification Label...
GVWR & GAWRs: The gross vehicle weight rating and the gross axle weight ratings were not listed anywhere online or in any of the resources that I was looking through when gathering the information for this specific article. These are actually found on the vehicles themselves, located on the driver side door jamb and will be found on the certification label. The certification label looks like the label that I have shown in the image above, and towards the top of this label is where you will find these two metrics.
GCWR: The gross combined weight ratings were provided in the chart for us and were listed for both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models, so this information is easy to access.
Axle Code: The actual code can also be found on the bottom of the certification label, and although we do not need to know what the axle ratio is for these vehicles in order to figure out our maximum trailer weight rating, it is provided at the bottom of this label.
Helpful Resources I Used For My Research:
All of the information for this article came from only three different resources, all of which are listed below. The owner's manual had a ton of information in it, and it is what I use to double-check the data from the guide.
The 2022 guide was where I grabbed a lot of my information and images from because it was laid out really well and easy to read. The brochure came in handy when it came to finding the different trim levels for these vehicles and diving a little bit deeper into what options were available for what trim levels.
Last updated on May 12th, 2022 at 06:05 pm